Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds
by NekoNekoMinako
Summary: When the Storm Hawks rescue Aerrow from the Dark Ace's clutches, what could have happened to change him from the boy he usually is to an emotional wreck?


MinakoJupiter: Alrighty, I'm gonna try my hand at writing a fic that has some sort of pain in it for a character. Please tell me if it's okay after you read it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Storm Hawks, so don't tell the lawyers that I do, because then you'd be lying, and that isn't a good thing.

Time Can't Heal All Wounds

It had been almost two weeks since the Dark Ace had captured Aerrow in battle, and the Storm Hawks still had no idea as to his location. The only reason they knew about this was because Radarr had somehow been able to get Aerrow's skimmer back to the condor Since he can't talk, Radarr had to act out what he was trying to say. Aerrow had been hit by a blast from a Firebolt Crystal, knocking him from the skimmer unconcious. Before Radarr could catch him, the Dark Ace had already retreated with the red-haired teen in tow. At last, the team had a lead: someone had seen the Dark Ace headed for the remote terra of Amazonia. So now, under Piper's lead, the Storm Hawks headed to their friend's aid, and hoepfully, they weren't too late...

Finn and Junko had seperated from the other three, so they could cover more ground. It was surprisingly easy to find Aerrow, but he was unconcious and badly injured; from the looks of things, he wasn't in the best condition. His clothing had rips, his armor was dented, and he was covered in dry blood and dirt. "Piper! We found him!" Finn exclaimed over the small communicator, Junko picking the red-head up and carrying him. "How is he?!" Piper's voice asked frantically. "He's unconcious and injured. We're taking him back to the condor; you guys should head on back as well." Finn replied as he and the wallop ran to the Condor...

The Storm Hawks were waiting outside Aerrow's room in the hospital; the doctor still hadn't come back. "Man, it's been an hour since he went in there! What's going on?!" Finn asked nobody in particular, his patience (what little he had) wearing thin. Radarr and Piper were the most distraught, Junko and Stork were trying to calm Finn down, and Finn was, well, Finn. Suddenly, the doctor came out, a grim expression on his face. "How is he?" Piper questioned, worried that something was horribly wrong. "He's fine...but I was hoping this wasn't the cause of his injuries..." "What do you mean?" Finn asked, the others nodding. "Well, at first I thought that maybe he was just tortured or something, but upon further inspection...some of those scrapes could only be caused by one thing...I doubt he'll ever be the same if it really was what caused this..." "Would you just tell us what the heck is wrong with him?!" Finn snapped, being held back by Junko and Stork. "I'm sorry, but...it appears that he was...raped." the doctor replied, turning his head away. Silence fell over the group at the doctor's words. "No...you've got to be kidding..." Piper muttered. "I'm sorry, but some of those injuries could only come from something like that...His wounds might heal, but he'll always have a scar in his heart from this...Give him time, and just show him you all are still his friends...That's all I know you could do to help him..."

Aerrow was still unconcious, even though it had been a few days since he was in the hospital. The Storm Hawks were still upset at the news of what happened, especially Piper and Radarr. The Condor hadn't been moved from where it landed when they first got there, and the five teens hadn't left their commanding officer's room. None of them could speak to another right now; things just weighed too heavily on their minds for them to speak. However, they were all snapped from whatever they were thinking about when Aerrow groaned, his eyes slowly opening. "Aerrow..." Piper whispered, rushing over to his side. He didn't reply at all, merely looking away from the group. "You know...don't you?" he questioned, still not looking at them. "It's not your fault..." Finn stated, standing at the foot of the red-head's bed. Radarr leapt up and whimpered, nudging his best friend's arm with his nose. "I couldn't stop him...He was too strong..." Aerrow muttered, turning on his side and curling up into a ball. "Just be glad you're still alive...He could've killed you if he wanted to." Stork stated. "Besides, we're still gonna be your friends! It doesn't matter what happens to you, you're our friend, and that's never gonna change!" Junko exclaimed, the others agreeing. "Thanks, guys...but I'd like to be alone for a little while..." Aerrow murmurred, still not looking at anybody. "Alright...but if you need us, just call. We're not going anywhere until you feel like it, dude." Finn said as he and the other guys (and Radarr) left the room. Piper stayed behind, sitting next to Aerrow. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened...I know I probably won't ever know the pain you've gone through, and the others won't either, but we'll try our best to help you, no matter what." she said, hugging him before leaving the room. "Thank you...Piper..." he whispered before she closed the door, just barely loud enough for her to hear...

It was a few weeks before Aerrow felt like doing anything, and even though he still wasn't his normal self, he was better. There were times he would wake up crying, but he always knew his friends would still be there for him. At first he was embarrased they had to see him like that, but he eventually got over that and was back to leading the Storm Hawks. Nothing would ever heal the internal scars, not even time, but even they seemed less when he was with his team...his friends...

MinakoJupiter: So? How'd you like it? I hope it was okay...If it sucked, oh well: it was three in the morning when I started this fic, so review please!


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